The present application is related to circuit board assemblies, and specifically to an adaptor for connecting an electrical component with a ball grid array joint to a circuit board with a leaded grid array joint.
When creating circuit boards for performing specific functions a common method is to “print” electrical connections on the circuit board and then have joints where non-printable components (such as micro-chips, capacitors, etc.) can be connected to the printed board to complete the circuit. There are multiple standard joint types used to form these connections in the art.
One type of joint is a Ball Grid Array (BGA) joint where the component has balls of solder at each connection which are joined with the board using a total heating method, which solders the component to the board.
One disadvantage of using a BGA joint type arises because the solder and the electrical component have different thermal expansion/contraction rates than the circuit board to which they are attached. This difference results in stress placed on the BGA joints whenever there is thermal expansion or contraction. Due to the nature of a BGA joint the solder connection is particularly susceptible to additional stresses resulting from thermal expansion and contraction. The stress can cause a decrease in the lifespan of the joint and can lead to potential breakage.